Decaying World-Chapter 25

The Green Ink Tower stood at the boundary between the Inner and Outer Cities, nestled tightly against the towering, pristine white walls. The entire structure resembled a colossal golden sculpture, from which layers of golden light radiated outward continuously.
It was the reflection of lamps striking walls and windows coated in gold dust.
The building itself was shaped like a teapot. The entrance was located at the handle, while the spout in front formed a unique, semi-transparent private chamber.
Lin Hui arrived early at nine o'clock the next morning. Standing at the entrance, he looked up, gazing across the hundred meters of courtyard toward the Green Ink Tower within.
'I really don't see where the "green" or the "ink" is in this place...'
Speechless at the gaudy display, he retrieved his invitation, strolled inside, and handed it to the guard.
"Guests have already arrived at the Heaven-Earth Chamber. Please, follow me." After verifying the invitation, the guard led the way personally, guiding him up the spiraling staircase that wrapped around the exterior of the first floor.
Lin Hui followed closely. They circled five or six times, ascending to the third floor before arriving in front of a spacious, golden private room.
Knock, knock, knock.
The guard tapped lightly, asking if it was convenient to enter. Upon receiving a response, he gently opened the door and ushered Lin Hui inside.
The moment he entered, Lin Hui's eyes fell upon Lin Hongzhen, who was sitting cross-legged at one end of the room.
Compared to their last meeting, Lin Hongzhen's appearance had changed completely.
If she had still retained some feminine qualities last time, she had now thoroughly transformed into a towering, muscular hulk.
If not for the obvious protrusion of her chest, it would have been nearly impossible to identify her as a woman.
Fortunately, her facial features remained largely the same. Aside from the added muscle mass, her face was still hers, allowing Lin Hui to recognize her immediately.
"Cousin." He greeted her the moment he stepped in.
"Come, sit here." Lin Hongzhen patted the spot beside her. "I've invited a few friends today, all from within the sect. Get to know them. If you run into trouble later, you can seek them out for help."
Lin Hui walked over and sat down, following Lin Hongzhen's introductions as he looked at each guest.
"Xiao Qin, you've met before. Her family holds significant influence in the Incense Altar near the sect." The first introduction was the girl he had met previously, Xiao Qin.
She was still dressed in her revealing attire—a white tube top and a purple ultra-short leather skirt. Her snowy-white thighs were crossed and exposed without reservation. In her hand, she toyed with a curved dagger encrusted with red and blue gemstones.
"Greetings, Sister Xiao Qin," Lin Hui said politely.
"Mn. If you have trouble in the future, you can go to Xiao's Emporium on Tongyou Street for help. That's my family's business." Xiao Qin nodded casually, offering a brief response.
"Thank you, Sister Xiao Qin," Lin Hui replied quickly.
"Alright, and this is Fei Wenyi. A colleague and close friend of mine in the sect. He comes from the Fei family of the Inner City. If you enter the Inner City in the future, go to his family's chain of merchant houses. You can get a twenty percent discount on goods," Lin Hongzhen said.
"Brother Yi!" Lin Hui greeted hurriedly.
Fei Wenyi was a man with a relatively gentle appearance, looking slightly older than Lin Hongzhen and the others. After the introduction, he offered Lin Hui a warm, polite smile.
"Come play at the Fei family estate in the Inner City when you have time. Just mention my name at the gate," he said softly.
"And finally, Meng Xiao. Also a friend." Lin Hongzhen moved to the last guest, a young woman with slightly curled, yellowish long hair.
The woman wore a long crimson dress, her pale insteps peeking out from beneath the hem. She sat with her legs crossed, holding a scroll resembling a map. Hearing her name, she smiled at Lin Hui and nodded, considering it a greeting.
"You've all met my younger brother now. Help look after him when you're in the Outer City," Lin Hongzhen said half-jokingly to the three, patting Lin Hui on the back.
"Since he's Miss Lin's brother, we naturally have to put in some effort. Don't worry," Fei Wenyi smiled.
Xiao Qin nodded as well, agreeing.
Only Meng Xiao smiled without speaking.
Lin Hongzhen noticed her attitude and patted Lin Hui's shoulder.
"It's fine. With your Brother Fei and Sister Qin here, there won't be any problems." She turned her gaze toward Meng Xiao.
"What? Did you come to the banquet today just to ruin the mood? Seeing that I received a low-tier Call, you turn your face and ignore old friendships immediately?"
The joking tone in her voice faded instantly, replaced by seriousness.
Meng Xiao closed the scroll, a faint, mocking smile playing on her lips.
"Since you know it in your heart, why say it out loud and humiliate yourself? Before, I gave you some face because you had the aptitude for a mid-to-high Call. But now, it's just low-tier... Heh."
"Sister Meng, when Hongzhen was doing favors for you before, that's not what you said." Xiao Qin, hearing this, spoke up with dissatisfaction before Lin Hongzhen could even respond.
"Wasn't the favor completed?" Meng Xiao laughed.
With those words, the atmosphere in the room instantly stagnated.
The four fell silent. Lin Hongzhen's face turned cold as she stared intently at Meng Xiao.
"Fine. I have no skill. I can only receive a low-tier Call. I am unworthy of being Meng Xiao's friend."
After a long silence, Lin Hongzhen spoke in a low voice.
"Since you think I'm unworthy, why did you even come today?"
"I just wanted to see your state. Now that I've seen it, I'm satisfied." Meng Xiao stood up, her smile unchanged, and walked leisurely toward the door.
"Farewell."
"I won't see you out." Lin Hongzhen's chest heaved with anger, and she didn't turn her head.
The door creaked open, and the person slowly exited. But the atmosphere inside the private chamber remained suffocating.
Lin Hongzhen had originally planned to call her friends to pave the way for her cousin, Lin Hui. She hadn't expected this scene to unfold.
To outsiders, she had indeed received the Call. But only those within the sect knew that her Call was actually of the lowest tier. This had resulted in her current unbalanced physique—her originally delicate face and figure had become hideously muscular and robust.
And ugliness was a massive taboo in the Rain Palace. Although she wouldn't be expelled from the sect, promotion would be extremely difficult.
Meng Xiao had seen through this point, instantly turning pragmatic.
"A-Hui, you go back. If you have trouble in the future, you can find your Sister Qin and Brother Fei." Lin Hongzhen forced a smile, instructing Lin Hui.
"Mn. Take care, Cousin. Come visit me at Clear Wind Temple when you have time." Lin Hui nodded.
From the attitude of those around Lin Hongzhen, he deduced that while his cousin appeared glorious on the outside, her situation within the city was likely difficult.
Otherwise, Meng Xiao wouldn't have been so disrespectful.
Without eating or drinking, he bowed to Xiao Qin and Fei Wenyi, then turned and left the chamber.
Originally, he had wanted to inquire about the disappearance cases today, but seeing his cousin's mood, it was clearly inappropriate.
Descending the stairs and passing through the first-floor lobby, Lin Hui unexpectedly saw Meng Xiao again. The woman was holding a wine glass, talking to another woman in white.
Seeming to notice Lin Hui's gaze, Meng Xiao turned her head slightly and glanced in his direction.
Her senses were evidently acute—she reacted instantly, even to being glanced at from over ten meters away.
Lin Hui's heart tightened. He offered a polite smile, then withdrew his gaze and walked quickly out of the Green Ink Tower.
Standing outside, he looked back at the magnificent, golden-splendor hotel. For some reason, an inexplicable sense of discomfort rose in his heart.
Exhaling, he walked quickly toward the somewhat gloomy Xinyu Town in the Outer City, soon disappearing at the end of the street corner.
By the time he returned home, it was already late afternoon. Lin Hui practiced the Nine-Section Swift Sword a few times before going to the shop to help his parents and chat with them.
At dusk, they closed the stall and went home. He slept until the next day. Lin Hui had just gotten up and finished washing when he saw his parents already packed and ready to go out to open the shop.
The three of them busied themselves for a while. Arriving at the shop, his father, Lin Shunhe, had just unlocked and opened the door when they heard the rapid approach of heavy footsteps on the street.
A tall, burly constable in black, with large ears and a fat head, walked up close, hand resting on the hilt of the blade at his waist.
"Who is Lin Hui?" His voice was cold, his gaze sweeping over the three.
"I am." Lin Hui's heart jumped, unsure of what had happened, but he hurried forward to answer.
"Last night, a vicious assault case occurred at the Green Ink Tower. Lin Hongzhen is your cousin, correct? You also went to the Green Ink Tower yesterday, correct?" He asked two questions in succession.
"Vicious assault? Yes, Lin Hongzhen is my cousin." Lin Hui felt a chill in his heart and replied quickly.
"She was attacked. She is currently severely injured and still in a coma. You need to come with me to the Security Station in town to give a statement," the constable said rapidly.
"What?! Cousin is seriously injured and in a coma!?" Lin Hui's eyes widened in shock. He had just seen Lin Hongzhen the previous night—she had been robust, her physique as solid as a wall of copper and iron.
And now, this? She was a Called Elite!
"Let's go. Cut the chatter," the constable urged, his attitude impatient.
The news shocked not only Lin Hui but also Lin Shunhe and Yao Shan, who were listening nearby. Their faces were filled with shock.
"Hongzhen is an elite disciple who succeeded in the Call... how could she be seriously injured and comatose?? This is simply..." Lin Shunhe couldn't imagine what could have allowed such a thing to happen.
Lin Hui, his heart filled with astonishment, followed the constable to the Security Station. By the time he finished his statement, it was nearing noon.
He walked out of the Security Station groggily, looking up at the bright, clear sky. From the constable's questioning and revelations, the attack on Lin Hongzhen seemed to be vaguely connected to Lin Hongyu.
According to the constable, they initially suspected that a woman who had previously been involved with the Chen family main branch disciple—the one Lin Hongyu was about to be betrothed to—had secretly acted out.
This involved entanglements and conflicts between three major powers.
As soon as he came out, he saw his parents waiting in the tea shed opposite the Security Station, looking anxiously in his direction.
Seeing Lin Hui emerge, both were overjoyed and hurried over.
"A-Hui! Are you alright?" Lin Shunhe asked.
"I'm fine. Just a simple statement. It's okay," Lin Hui replied. "Let's go back first."
The three quickly returned to the small courtyard of their home.
Only after entering the door did Lin Shunhe dare to speak again.
"A-Hui, news just came from the Lin family compound. Lin Hongyu was also attacked last night, but only sustained minor injuries. An old friend of mine heard some inside information—it seems a love rival of Lin Hongyu used her family's power to hire killers."
His father's expression held an indescribable complexity.
On one hand, Lin Hongyu was the one who stole his son's quota, so she deserved it. On the other hand, her affair had implicated Lin Hongzhen, which complicated his feelings. After all, Lin Hongzhen treated his son well, and he had a good relationship with the first branch. He didn't want Hongzhen to suffer, but now...
"If this is true, Mom, Dad, we must try not to get involved. The other party was able to attack both sides at once—their power is definitely not weak... How is Cousin doing now? Dad, did you go visit?" Lin Hui asked heavily.
"I visited. Still in a coma. Your eldest uncle and the others were there too. I dropped off some supplements and left. You go visit when you have time, but remember to avoid the others," Lin Shunhe whispered.
"Mn, I know." Lin Hui felt terrible. He had a good relationship with Lin Hongzhen. Who would have thought she would be implicated by Lin Hongyu to such an extent?
After adjusting his state at home, he went out quickly and headed to the government medical clinic in town. However, he missed her—Lin Hongzhen had already been picked up by people from the Shayue Sect and taken to the Inner City for better treatment.
He inquired about the situation and learned from the clinic staff that things were not looking good. His cousin's injuries were extremely severe; she remained unconscious, and it was very likely she would be left with serious sequelae.